Here We Go Again
by Leioa15
Summary: Lily and James' last year at Hogwarts, and James' last chance to make Lily love him.
1. Chapter 1

Lily sighed. Standing at Platform 9 and ¾ just promised her another year of craziness. Last year James Potter had hexed her, making all her homework written in invisible ink two hours after she had written it. Of course, it had been Remus Lupin's idea that he really hadn't meant for her. It had ended with Lily being terrified of her classes when handing in homework, and earning her quite a few detentions, in which Potter had to attend as well. Honestly, Lily would have preferred detention alone.

A trunk fell behind her and she turned. A boy with shaggy black hair, covering his eyes as he bent over, straightened up, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Sirius Black. She smiled. Lily had always admired Sirius and she didn't mind him at all.

"Hey, Lily, good to see you, how was your summer?"

"Pretty good and yours?"

Sirius shrugged. "As soon as I got home me mum gave me that whole 'you traitor, I can't believe you're not in Slytherin' talk, so I ran away to Potter's and spent my summer there."

She nodded. Sirius' mother hated the fact that her son was in Gryffindor, and it didn't bother her that he ran away from home, Lily thought his mother liked it when he wasn't around.

Sirius looked around, almost like he was expecting someone. "Where's Alise?"

Lily smiled. Alise was her best friend in the entire world. And Sirius Black had a crush on her. Sirius was, no doubt, one of the best looking boys in Hogwarts. Even Lily, in First year, had a crush on him. And now, her best friend Alise was the one to steal his heart. Even if she didn't know it.

She shrugged. "She's supposed to be here… perhaps your friends kidnapped her."

Sirius shrugged, smiling. "They actually might have."

Lily laughed. Someone tapped her shoulder. She turned, tucking a piece of long red hair behind her ear. Alise.

Alise was tall and slender, with dark brown hair cut just above her shoulders. Her brown eyes focused on Lily as she heaved her bag off her shoulder and onto the floor. She didn't look like she was in a good mood. She smoothed down her black shirt and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Three hours in the bloody car with your stepfather saying how wonderful it is that your mother is shipping you off to boarding school in "Ireland" is _not _one of the best things in the world," she explained.

Alise's mother was divorced, a witch. She had remarried and hadn't mentioned to her new husband Steve, a muggle, that she was a witch and that Alise was going to Hogwarts. Steve thought that Alise's mother was shipping her to boarding school in Ireland.

Alise smiled, relieving some of the tension and stepped forward. She put her arms around Lily and hugged her. They'd seen each other about two weeks ago, so this reunion wasn't so missed. She stepped back and looked at Sirius. She smiled. "Hi, Sirius."

Sirius grinned. "Hello, Alise, how-"

"BLACK!"

Sirius spun around. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were coming towards them, trunks in tow. " 'Morning, Lily!" Remus said, grinning. Lily greeted Remus and Peter just as the train arrived. James was nowhere in sight. Remus smiled at Lily adoringly. He had missed her over the summer. He admired her very much. He had always been fond of Lily but had never shown it.

Lily hauled her trunk into one of the compartments, followed by the boys and Alise. When Sirius came in and set his trunk down, she turned to him. "Sirius, where's Potter?"

He shrugged. "Lily, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried!"

Lily shot him a dirty look. "Watch it Sirius, if I have to I'll send you to detention!"

Sirius faked shock. "You _wouldn't_!"

She smiled. "Oh, I would!"

Lily was taking her duty as Head Girl seriously, well, not really. She was eager to find out who Head Boy was. She was determined to make her 7th year the best ever. But, she didn't want to start thinking about leaving Hogwarts.

Remus sat next to her and Alise was on the other side. Peter and Sirius started whispering, they were plotting something new for this year. Great. Alise had stolen Sirius' sweater when he wasn't looking and she was using it as a pillow, leaning her head against the window.

Remus looked down at this watch. The train started to pull away. Potter still wasn't here. Not that she _cared_!

A few minutes passed and Alise was out cold. Lily asked Remus about his summer and he told her that he had visited Potter and Sirius only a few days ago. She looked at Sirius. He was staying at Potter's this summer, how had he left for the platform without him? But of course, Lily didn't came if Potter was here or not.

The compartment door burst open, James Potter standing in the doorway. He grinned, his hair messed up, looking like he had just gotten off of his broom. "I. Am. Here." He announced.

He dragged his trunk in and sat down next to Sirius. Sirius whispered to him that Lily was Head Girl and James nodded. James tried to catch Lily's eye but she wouldn't look at him. She heard papers rustling and then Sirius laughing. "You can't be SERIOUS!"

She saw James nod. Sirius looked at her. "Hey, Lily, guess who you're Head Boy is!"

She stared. "Who?"

James grinned. "Yours truly."

Her face fell. "You've got to be kidding!"

She grabbed the papers from them and stared. Damn. They were right. Lily despised James Potter. Her efforts to make this year the best, wasn't working.

She threw the papers back at them and leaned back. The look on her face said that she wasn't happy. How was it possible? How had Potter become Head Boy?! After all the pranks he played, after all the detentions he served, why?! ARGH!

Lily pulled her knees to her chest and put her head down. Sirius leaned closer to James. "This is your _last_ shot, Prongs! This is your last chance to get her!" he whispered. James nodded. Ever since the end of 6th year, he had had a crush on Lily. Unfortunately for him, she hated him with a passion.

In Lily's opinion, James had the biggest ego in the world, he was rude and arrogant, and not to mention, extremely cocky. She detested him. Remus looked at his watch. Seven days until the next full moon. This was worrying him. During the first week of school, the teachers kept a harsh eye on the students…what if they found out?

In a worse situation, what if Lily found out? Or Alise? They didn't know, only Sirius, Peter, and James knew what he was. Remus shifted nervously in his seat.

James sat, watching Lily. He noticed Remus looking uncomfortable. James knew that it was only a matter of time until Remus shifted again. James was as nervous as his friend. He leaned forward towards Remus. "Don't worry, Moony, I'll take care of you."

Remus nodded. He didn't doubt that. He knew he was lucky to have such loyal friends, friends that made themselves into Animagi once a month to keep him company- or, or more importantly, to make sure he didn't kill or hurt anybody.

The train stopped and once again, they were at Hogwarts. Lily lifted her head and gathered her things, leaving the compartment without saying anything to anybody. While lifting his trunk, James accidentally bumped into Lily. She shot him a dirty look over her shoulder.

"Good going, Prongsie," Sirius whispered. James glared at him. "Shut up, Padfoot."

Lily left the train and headed for the Castle. Alise followed her up the stairs to their dormitory before they were to be in the Great Hall for the Sorting.

"You know," Alise said, pulling her trunk, "you could move into the Head's Dormitory, I wouldn't mind…"

Lily looked over her shoulder at her. "I am not moving into a dormitory with Potter! We both know that!"

Alise shrugged. "I know he'd like it if you did. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but he _is _quite taken with you."

Alise passed Lily on the stairs and went to the portrait. Lily kept walking, but very slowly. 'The _James Potter?! Liking me?! Oh bloody hell no! I doubt he'd find the time to stop thinking about himself and start caring about someone else! The bloody git!'_

Alise turned around. "What's the password again?"

"Um, I think it's 'Boll Weevil Evil' or something like that"

Alise tried it and it worked, the portrait swinging open. Somehow, the Marauders had gotten into the Common Room before them. Alise dragged her heavy trunk in and saw them. James was standing at the window, looking out. Sirius was lounging on the couch, his arm over the back. Remus and Peter were already engaged in a chess match.

They all heard the portrait open and they looked at us. Sirius got up and walked around the couch. "Here, let me get that for you." He picked up Alise's trunk like it weighed nothing and followed her up the stairs. He muttered something underneath his breath, knowing that as soon as he said it, the stairs would stay stairs and he wouldn't fall.

Lily started to follow them and James came towards her. "Let me help you," he said, leaning down for her trunk. She pulled it out of his reach. "No, that's okay, I've got it Potter."

She went upstairs, leaving three of the Marauders in the Common Room. James sighed and went to the couch. "I don't get it…"

Remus laughed. "What don't you get, Prongs? The fact that she doesn't like you? Well it makes perfect sense, really, you tormented her for the last six years!"

James crossed his arms. "I guess…but this is a new year, maybe I've changed…"

Remus looked up, smiling. "You never change, Prongs."

Sirius came down the stairs. "Well, good thing for you, James, I have just had a talk with the ever-so-lovely Lily Evans, convincing her to be nice to you this year, just in case she never ever sees you again, and making sure she doesn't regret anything!"

Sirius sat down on the couch, grinning like a genius. "I am so amazing, sometimes I wonder where I get these things from!"

James glared at him. "I think I hate you."

Alise opened her trunk. "Sirius is right, you should be nice to James this year."

Lily laughed, throwing her clothes in a drawer. "He's the one who's never nice to me!"

Alise rolled her eyes. "Well he just offered to help you with your trunk, if you haven't noticed, and I think that qualifies as being nice!"

"Well what do you want me to do? Go out with him?!"

"You know, that wouldn't be a bad idea…"

"ALISE!" Lily threw a pillow at her. Alise caught it and set it down on her bed, continuing to unpack. "Oh no." Alise groaned. "I left it."

"What? Left what?" Lily asked, looking over her trunk with her clothes in her arms.

"I left _HIM!!_" Alise sat down on her bed. "I can't believe this is happening, I left him!"

"Oh no," Lily dropped all of her clothes on to her bed, "Don't tell me you've left Gary!"

As Alise rummaged through her trunk, Lily dropped down onto the floor, looking under the beds. She saw something towards the corner and scooted under the bed to reach. Gary was a grey stuffed Elephant that Alise's brother Adam gave her for Christmas when she was eight. Adam had been killed by Death Eaters last year and Alise had only gotten through it with ice cream and Gary.

As Lily reached to the corner and found, not Gary, but an old sock, there was a knock on the door. Alise ran to the door, she was already panicking about having left Gary at home.

Sirius stood at the door, he held Gary in his arms. "You, er, dropped this in the Common Room."

Before he could hand him to her, Alise threw her arms around him. "Thank you _SO MUCH_, Sirius! You have no idea what Gary means to me!"

"Gary? He has a name?"

"Of course he has a name!" Alise took Gary, petting him adoringly, leaving Sirius in the doorway. He shifted uncomfortably. He caught sight of Lily, putting his hands on his hips.

"Lily Evans, _what _are you doing underneath the bed?"

Lily let her breath out loudly, exasperated. "I was _trying _to find Gary!"

"Ah," Sirius said, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe, "I was just wondering what got you on your back so early in the year!"

Lily's face turned scarlet. She ungracefully wiggled out from under the bed. She got up, brushing the dust from her clothes. "Sirius, I swear to Merlin, you are so aggravating!"

He grinned at her.

"I think he's a hero!" Alise exclaimed.

Lily turned around horrified, "He's a _what??"_

Alise grinned, hugging Gary to her chest. "You heard me, a hero. He did save Gary after all!"

Sirius laughed. "That's right, Evans, you heard her, I'm a hero!"

Lily put her hands on her hips, aggravated. "Then, Mr. Hero, you should be off saving someone else!!"

Sirius laughed, shrugging. Lily turned around to yell at Alise and Sirius was gone.

"Lily, I swear, you are ten shades of red right now!"

"Alise, a hero? Sirius?"

Alise smiled. "He _did _save Gary!"

She settled Gary next to her pillows and continued unpacking. Lily grumbled, brushing her hair away from her shoulders.

Sirius game back down the stairs grinning. James looked up.

"And where have you been?"

Sirius grinned wider and simply said, "Saving the day."

James rolled his eyes. Remus looked up from the chess board. "What exactly did you do this time?"

Sirius laughed and shrugged, "Heroes never reveal their secrets."

James looked at him. "Some hero you are!"

Sirius smiled. "Oh, by the way, Potter, you'd better watch out!"

"Oh? For what?" James asked, crossing his arms.

"You may competition fighting for Lily Evans!"

James shifted, "What do you mean?"

Sirius laughed. "Well, if you should know, some bloke named Gary had Lily on her back before the school year even began! You'd better get going, Potter, or you'll miss your chance!"

Sirius smiled mischievously and climbed the stairs to unpack. James turned to Remus and Peter.

"Who's Gary?!"

Review. this is my first time writing in a LONG time. tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's another chapter, hope it's to your liking!

* * *

Lily closed her eyes. This wasn't happening. Hogwarts had started less than three weeks ago and she was already sick. She sneezed and pulled the quilt around her. It was only September, the fire in the Common Room was roaring, and she had a quilt wrapped around her, yet she was still freezing.

Lily doubted that this sickness was natural. James Potter or Sirius Black, or both, had probably hexed her, making her catch something fifty times worse than the flu. She was sure it was Potter or Black, because it definitely wasn't Remus Lupin or Peter Pettigrew. Remus would never do something like that to her, and Peter wasn't smart enough to do something like this.

Someone came down the Boys' Dormitory stairs. Lily didn't turn her head, she didn't really care who it was.

"How you feelin', Lily?" It was Remus. Lily sniffled. She turned her head to look at him.

"I feel like I had a run in the with Whomping Willow."

Remus laughed. "That bad?"

She nodded. "Potter and Black are going to pay for this…"

"Now, how do you know it was them?"

Lily glared at him. "People don't get sick in September for no reason!"

Remus laughed again. "Ok, so you've made your point."

Lily nodded, snuggling back down into the quilt grumbling. "I hate them."

Remus shrugged. He told them not to make Lily sick, it wasn't very good for James' plan of winning her over- but, of course, as always, the never listened. Lily heard a noise on the Boys' stairs and pulled the quilt around her. It was Sirius.

"Remus, are you bothering Lily again?" Sirius asked, "You know, it's not very nice."

Lily shot a look at Sirius, "Sirius, you made me sick! This is _your _fault, you're the one who's not nice!"

Sirius held up his hand in protest, "Lily, I am _shocked _that you would accuse _me_ of making you sick!"

Lily opened her mouth to scream at him when Alise came in, carrying a bowl of soup and a piece of bread.

"Yes, Lily, fresh chicken noodle soup," she said, grinning, handing it to Lily, "I didn't even conjure it, I walked all the way to the kitchen, just to get it for you."

Alise was grinning. "Let me feel your forehead- oh, you still have a temperature, I'm sure I can find a potion or a spell to make this cold go away or at least get better…"

Lily shook her head. "No, once the potion wears off, it'll just come back, I'd better wait it out and wait for it to get over with," Lily grumbled, coughing and shivering at the same time, "There is _nothing _right now that could make me feel worse."

Alise smiled, at least nothing could make Lily feel worse. Sirius looked at her. He admired how much she looked after her friend, even though he _did _make her sick.

Just then, the Common Room door swung open. It was James. Lily raised her head to see over the couch. She groaned, throwing her hand over her eyes, "Merlin, I stand corrected."

"Hello, chums!" James announced, "What are we doing today?"

James strode over to the couch and without looking, hopped over the back, hoping to land comfortably on an empty couch and settle down for a comfy nap. Instead, he fell right atop of Lily.

"POTTER! ARGH! GET OFF OF ME!" Lily screeched, his body on top of her, making her spill her soup all over her. James struggled to contain composure.

"Oh, Lily, I am _so _sorry, here, I'll-"

Lily pushed James off of her and off of the couch. He fell onto the floor with a loud thud, taking her quilt with him.

"Lily, I am so sorry, I didn't know you were-"

Lily stood up, her hair a mess and her pajamas soaked from the spilt soup. Her face turned red in fury, James' turned in embarrassment.

"Well, thank you, Potter. I didn't think being sick could get _any _worse and then _you _come in and make it _horrible_!"

James face was red, he was so embarrassed. He hadn't meant to upset her. He didn't even know she was laying on the couch. He thought she was in her room sleeping off her sickness. He had gotten her sick so that he could bring her soup and make her feel better. Instead, she was sick and he just jumped on her, spilling the soup Alise had gotten her and making things worse.

"I'm going to go take a shower now, if you'll all please excuse me!" Lily shouted, storming angrily up the stairs.

"Way to make things worse, Potter," Sirius said, smiling at James.

James hung his head. His plan backfired and he was the only one to blame.

Alise picked up the empty bowl off of the floor. "I'll go return this to the kitchen," she announced to no particular person. She started to walk towards the door.

Sirius picked his head up, "Oh, I'll go with you!"

He scurried behind her, falling into step with her as she walked through the door.

James turned to Remus. "You don't think Lily'll forgive me do you?"

Remus shrugged. "You never know…"

James sighed. He hadn't meant to make Lily angry, now how was he going to apologize without sounding like an ass?

* * *

Lily stood under the water, shampooing her hair. The steam from the hot water made her head feel better. Getting clean when she was sick always made her feel better.

She sighed, reaching to soap her back, rinsing her hair. Maybe it was a good thing that Potter made her spill her soup, otherwise she would have laid on that couch feeling horrible all day. At least now she had temporary relief from her sickness. She felt revived, fresh.

"Lily?"

She stopped. _What the hell is a BOY doing in the Girls' Showers?? And why is he calling my name??_

"Who's there?" she asked, then suddenly realizing that she was _indeed_ in the shower. And naked. With a boy. _Shit. _

"Lily, I'm sorry about today, I really didn't mean to upset you-"

"James! What in Merlin's name are you doing in here??"

James' heart stopped. _She said my name._

"Lily, I just wanted to apologize for today-"

Lily couldn't see him, she didn't know where he was, the steam was too thick.

"James, why the hell are you in the Girls' Showers??"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"THEN WAIT UNTIL I GET OUT!!"

James blinked. He really hadn't thought about Lily in the shower. He didn't plan on seeing her naked, it never even crossed his mind. Well, now that he thought about it…

"NOW!" Lily screeched.

"Now what?" James asked, taking a step. Lily heard him get closer, even though she couldn't see him.

"GET OUT!!" Lily yelled. She certainly did not want James to see her naked, soaking wet in the shower.

"JAMES GET OUT!!"

"Ok, I'll wait for you outside." James said, backing away towards the door. "Are you sure you don't want any help?" he asked with a smile.

"NO, I DO _NOT_ WANT ANY HELP!! NOW GET OUT!!"

James left the Girls' Showers smiling. Not only had he gotten close to seeing Lily naked, he had teased her. And now he was going to talk to her. Hopefully it would go well.

Lily stood in the shower, making sure he was gone. She rinsed her hair again. _Damn boy, coming into the showers! _

When she was sure she was clean and knew she could not put off talking to James any longer, she turned off the water and grabbed a towel. She wrapped it around herself, tucking it in in the front. She squeezed the water out of her hair and finger combed its length. She readied herself, letting out a long breath, and put her hand on the door.

James looked up when the door opened. Steam came out in a rush and Lily came out, looking like a goddess coming from heaven. He held his breath, staring. When the steam dissipated, the real Lily stood there, as beautiful as ever. She was standing in only a towel, her red hair wet and dripping. She was beautiful.

James couldn't keep his mouth closed. She was stunning.

Lily stood there, cocking her head to the side and running her fingers through her hair.

"You wanted to talk?"

Review please. Hope you liked it!


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